Apple could remove home button in next-gen iPad, iPhone - rumor

An unverified report claims that Apple is planning to remove the home button on the iPad and iPhone as early as later this year, relying instead on multitouch gestures to return to the home screen.

Boy Genius Report is reporting that, according to one of its sources, Apple is already testing iPads and iPhones without home buttons on its Cupertino, Calif., campus. However, since the report itself admits the information is "pretty wild," readers should take it with a grain of salt.

"We are told that Apple, at some point in time, will remove the home button from the iPads design. Instead of button taps, you will use new multitouch gestures to navigate to the home screen and also to launch the app switcher," the report predicted.

"It's possible we will see this new change materialize with the next-generation iPad and iPhone devices set to launch this year," wrote author Jonathan S. Geller.

The report also cites new multitouch gestures from a beta version of iOS 4.3 released Wednesday that enable a 5-finger pinch gesture for accessing the home screen. Other gestures new to the beta include a swipe up to reveal the multitasking tray and a swipe left or right to switch between open applications.

Apple's iLife and photo-taking application Photo Booth could also make their way onto the next iPad, the report speculated.

Though BGR has had a respectable track record with AT&T and iPhone announcements, its Apple-related predictions have been less accurate. In 2009, the site incorrectly claimed that Blu-Ray support was coming to iTunes 9.

More recently, the site reported that a cloud version of iTunes with wireless syncing was "definitely happening soon." Last January, BGR reported "Apple tablet-related news" involving a "solid Apple / Verizon connection."

i could see it on the ipad where the home button is seemingly out of place. it is so small in comparision the the screen and if you have ever played fruit ninja you would know that the home button is accidentaly hit at times. also with such a big screen, a five figer gesture is much more natural than on the iphone. however apple values consistency, so i find it hard to believe that the home button will be scrapped since a finger gesture consisting of more than 2 fingers is awkward on a <4 inch screen.

Bullshit. What happens when an application locks up? Press the power button and lock\\unlock? Reboot? That would be a fantastic UX...

Not to mention what would happen if an application implements the same gestures so that every time I went to reload the manor on my grade 6 elven dragon sword the system jumped back to the home screen.

Gestures for application switching would be great... but they can only work well from the home screen.

I never did like that home button on the iPad. It's a pain in the ass or finger. Okay ass and finger in the same sentence didn't sound right. Anyways either they replace it with a soft button or get rid of it.

Frankly, this sounds like they're pulling a page out of the webOS playbook, except you're using multi-touch gestures to return to the home screen.

Edit: Oh, and you're not exactly quitting apps when doing so. Not sure if you can really say webOS has a home screen. :/ Just a main screen, a dock, and an app launcher, that's about it. Just a thought here from someone using a webOS device (and kinda feeling some iWithdrawals in the process) and hearing about this.

Bullshit. What happens when an application locks up? Press the power button and lock\\unlock? Reboot? That would be a fantastic UX...

Not to mention what would happen if an application implements the same gestures so that every time I went to reload the manor on my grade 6 elven dragon sword the system jumped back to the home screen.

Gestures for application switching would be great... but they can only work well from the home screen.

I doubt developers will have access to multi-touch gestures. I think it'll strictly be for multitasking purposes and avoid exactly that kind of a mess and confusion.